First Encounter

With extraordinary and privileged access, Sandhurst is a three-part observational documentary shot at the Royal Military Academy over the course of a year. The series follows the journey of one intake of cadets, both male and female, through the 200-year-old institution - three gruelling terms that turn them from civilians into officers, from followers into the leaders needed for the ongoing war in Afghanistan and beyond.

The first programme follows the fresh-faced cadets as they struggle with the relentless routines of the first term. Strict discipline and severe physical demands will prove too much for some, as Britain's future military elite acclimatises to a different world.